Usman Salis
⬤ Fresh search traffic data from Similarweb reveals how users are discovering major generative AI platforms in 2025. The numbers track worldwide search traffic share from January through November, covering both branded and non-branded queries across paid and organic channels. The data includes ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, and Perplexity.
⬤ ChatGPT still owns the lion's share of search traffic, even though its dominance slipped slightly over the year. The platform started 2025 with 78.59% of search traffic in January and ended November at 74.25%. That's a modest drop, but ChatGPT is still capturing roughly three-quarters of all search interest in the AI space—far ahead of every other platform combined.
⬤ Gemini made the biggest moves this year. Google's AI chatbot jumped from just 5.64% of search traffic in January to 14.95% by November—nearly tripling its share in less than a year. That surge lines up with Google pushing Gemini harder across its product lineup, giving it more visibility in Search and other services. Meanwhile, DeepSeek took a hit, dropping from 12.79% in January down to 5.35% by year's end. Grok grew from basically nothing (0.02%) to 2.53%, showing it's gaining some traction but still playing in the minor leagues. Perplexity held steady around 3%, dipping slightly from 2.96% to 2.91%.
⬤ The data points to a slow reshuffling rather than any dramatic upheaval. ChatGPT keeps its crown, but Gemini is clearly eating into the market at the edges. For Alphabet, that's a win—Gemini's visibility is rising in a crowded field. Search traffic share matters because it shows where user attention is flowing and which platforms are top-of-mind when people think AI. As the market grows and more players enter, these shifts could signal how competition evolves and who's positioned to capture new users down the line.
Usman Salis
